Winter Holiday
by Seigi-san
Summary: My Xmas sequel to 'Instability! Xmas in a subtropical country is all well and good, but sometimes, you just have to have snow..
1. Chapter 1

( The promised sequel to Instability, set at Christmas. I hope you like it! )

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The tiny house was filled with the smell of baking, the scents of cinnamon and orange peel mingling with the aroma of pine. In a corner of the disorganised living room, a small tree stood, it's spiny branches decorated with tinsel, brightly coloured baubles, and foil-wrapped chocolates (placed on higher branches out of the reach of little fingers). Twinkling lights and a silvery star completed the arrangement, as well as several carefully-made paper and card contraptions made by the oldest child. Holly-trimmed candles sat on the coffee table, almost swamped by a mass of paperwork and books. In the kitchen of this house, an auburn-haired woman stood with a bowl in her arms, mixing together spices, citrus peels and mincemeat. Pastry shells already stood waiting for the mixture to be added, then topped with more pastry, which a young girl was sitting at a table making. Another little girl was sitting on the table itself, a glass of juice beside her. Her attention, however, was focused on a card the family had recieved that morning. It showed a typical Christmas scene, a rosy-cheeked child walking through snow, carrying a brightly wrapped gift. But although the little girl understood the context of the scene, there was still one mystery. "Mommy?"

The woman turned from her work, setting down the bowl. "What is it, sweetie?" The girl pointed to the card. "What's that white stuff?"

Her older sister leaned over to peer at the card, and nodded. "That's snow, right Mommy? I saw it in a book at school.." Their mother nodded with a smile, though her marigold eyes were troubled. _That's right. Rin and Amber have never seen snow. And here...they never will..._

Sitting down on a chair, lifting the toddler Amber to sit on her lap, Murrue began to tell her children stories of when she herself was a child, her soft voice recounting the time a snowstorm hit her home town, and the fun she and her friends had making snowmen and snow angels. Rin's eyes grew as wide as saucers at the tale, and when her mother finished speaking, she dipped her little hand in the icing sugar on the table, letting it trickle through her fingers. Amber beamed. "When will it snow, Mommy?" Rin reached over and ruffled her little sister's strawberry-blonde curls, a wistful smile on her face. "It can't snow here...it's too hot.." Amber's face fell, and she turned in her mother's arms to gaze out of the window...at the cloudless blue sky and bright sunshine of a sub-tropical afternoon.

Later that evening, Murrue lay stretched out on the pale blue sofa, her head cradled in her husband's lap. Her lips curved into a small smile as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. "Did you have a good day at work?" she asked quietly, and he nodded, leaning back against the sofa, blue eyes closed. "It wasn't bad," he replied, fingers working through her hair and wisping across her cheek. "Yours?" She closed her own eyes, smile growing. "I had fun," she answered, reaching back to take his other hand. "The girls and I made mince pies.." Mwu chuckled softly. "Very festive..." He gazed around the room, at the lit-up tree, the cards on the mantelpiece and coffee table. The setting was perfect, only a roaring fire missing to complete the effect. But then again...he looked out of the window, at the beautiful tropical sunset, and sighed.

"You think so too?" she asked, her smile a little rueful. "It's almost Christmas, but here we are in sunny paradise. It always bothered me, just a little, but now...You know, Rin and Amber have never seen snow except in pictures, and here, the worst weather we have is during the monsoon season. Rain, yes, and wind, but never snow..."

Mwu grinned, shifting so he was lying with her on the sofa, her cradled in his arms. "Well, there is a way around that. I know a place where it's _definitely_ snowing right now. How 'bout we go there..and take the kids?" Murrue turned around in his arms, one eyebrow raised. "Oh? And where would that be?"

He closed his eyes, leaning back. "Home." he replied. "Well, sort of. I have a buddy who owns a place he rents out, usually over the summer, and he owes me a favour. And as for snow..." He opened one eye, reaching out to trail a hand across her cheek. "Quebec gets a lot of it this time of year.." Her face lit up, and she hugged him tightly. "We can go there?" she asked, amber eyes bright with happiness. "To where you grew up?"

"It's nothing that special," he replied with a laugh. "Or has it really been that long since you've been out in the snow?" She rested her head on his shoulder. "It _has_ been a long time," she admitted. "But it's not just that. I...always wanted to see the place you grew up. To see where you came from. And now...I can," Mwu looked down at her, a soft smile to his scarred face at her obvious delight. "And so can the girls. Thank you.." she finished.

"You're welcome," he replied, stroking her hair. _It'll be the first time...I've ever been back home since I was a kid. I wonder if it's changed? _

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( Well, here we have part one of the sequel. Hope it's okay! And for the part about Mwu being from Quebec...well, Wiki says he's French-Canadian. I don't know if it's true or not:sweatdrops: but anything's better than nothing, right?

Please read and review! )


	2. Chapter 2

The small shuttle flew through the night sky on it's way to it's destination, almost all it's passengers fast asleep, save for one. This person was leaning back against the plush seating, azure eyes trained on the scenery beyond the window. The climate had gradually grown colder the further north-west the craft had travelled, although the change in temperature wasn't evident inside the shuttle itself. The man watching the scenery settled further back against the seat with a smile, his gaze flicking to the one who sat beside him. Her head was resting on his shoulder, eyes closed, one hand resting over his. She had fallen asleep a few hours ago, despite her insistence that she was going to stay awake as long as he did. He inclined his head to rest on hers, pressing a soft kiss to her dark hair. She didn't stir, but she did smile in her sleep. Looking down, Mwu gently caressed the soft hair of his oldest daughter, who lay with her head resting on his lap, sound asleep. Her little sister was in a similar state, head cushioned on her mother's lap, thumb held firmly in her mouth. Smiling again, and closing his own eyes, he nodded off, his head still resting on his wife's.

When he awoke, the world beyond the window was dazzlingly bright. The sky was a clear blue, no clouds there to spoil the beauty, and the shuttle was beginning to descend. Mwu grinned as he noticed the packed snow cut into banks. "Well, they wanted snow.." he murmured, looking down at his sleeping children, A soft laugh from beside him caused him to turn around and focus his attention on his wife. Murrue was awake, although her marigold eyes were still half-closed in sleep, and she was smiling. "You wanted snow too," she accused. "You missed it."

"Maybe I did," he replied, carefully stretching out in his seat. "But you were the one who wanted the kids to see it. And I bet you missed it too. Did it ever snow where you lived?" She nodded, glancing out of the window. "Once or twice. There was a huge snowstorm when I was a kid...it was so deep they closed off all the roads. I went sledging down the high street with my friends.." He chuckled at that. "Sounds like fun. I never got to do that, but I do remember having a lot of snowball fights with my buddies.."

"Are you sure this is okay?" she asked softly, squeezing his hand. "Going back to the place you grew up. After all, you..." He closed his eyes with a small smile. ""It's fine. Besides, I had fun with my friends - it was only the house I lived in that could bring back bad memories, and that isn't there anymore."

Murrue tipped her head to the side at his choice of words. "That's something I noticed. The house you lived in...you never refer to it as 'home'..."

"Because it wasn't," he replied mildly. "Home is somewhere you look forward to returning to..where people you love and who love you are waiting. Our house back in Orb - _that_'s home. Because you and the girls are there." The young woman regarded him with a gentle smile, then leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.

When the shuttle touched down at the small military airfield in Quebec, little Rin woke up, rubbing sleepy blue eyes with a fist. "What is it?" she mumbled. "Did we get here already?" Sitting up, she peered out of the window - and her face lit up. "Is that really snow, Daddy?"

"Sure it is.." he replied with a chuckle as the the little girl climbed onto his lap. "But ya know, it's gonna be cold. So you have to put on the warm clothes Mommy packed, okay? Rin nodded, poking at the padded fabric of the pink snowsuit. "It's all poofy.." With her mother's help, she donned the garment, as well as tiny ski boots and a hat and scarf. Amber never stirred once, little face flushed with sleep, curly hair all rumpled. Carefully, Murrue wrapped her toddler daughter in a warm blanket and lifted her into her arms, while Rin hopped up and down impatiently, waiting for the shuttle hatch to open. When it did, the girl squeaked in surprise at the cold, but quickly recovered, giggling in delight and running outside.

"Hey, slow down!" called Mwu, but he couldn't help smiling at how happy his little girl was. Beside him, Murrue had donned a thick pink jacket and black hat, still holding the sleeping Amber. "She's a snowbird, huh?" she asked softly. "I was worried that she might be too used to the heat back home to like it here. But look at her.." Rin was twirling around in the cold air, eyes fixed on the blue sky. "Did you really live here, Daddy?"

"Yup. When I was a kid," he replied, crossing the landing strip to pick up the child. "That was a long time ago.." Rin nodded innocently in agreement, giggling when he tickled her. Her breath drifted out in clouds on the cold air, and she blinked in surprise. "What's that?" Mwu grinned, blowing out a cloud of his own breath. "It's your breath," he answered. "See, your breath is warmer than the air, so it turns to steam. Cool, huh?" Rin nodded, looking around to where her mother and younger sister were waiting. "So where do we go now?"

In reply, her father pointed to a taxi waiting nearby. "We get in that, with all our bags, and we go find my old friend. He has a house he's letting us borrow while we stay here." Setting down his daughter, he picked up two of the large carry-all bags, moving towards the waiting car.

The house was small, and red-brick, nestling at the corner of a quiet street. Outside, a man stood waiting, hands stuffed into pockets. He was remembering the past, memories of his old friend running through his mind. _How long has it been...since I saw him last? It's gotta be..damn, it's gotta be over fifteen years. He was eighteen, I think..yeah, that's it. _Looking up, he smiled as he saw the taxi pull up outside. "Mwu?" The man climbing out of the car did resemble the boy he remembered, but something about him was very different. Gone was the loneliness, the hollow emptiness...instead, this man moved with a quiet confidence, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. "Hey, Sam!" he called, waving cheerfully.

Sam grinned, shaking his head at the change in his old friend. "Hey. Been a while, huh? Last time..it must have been that day you left. The day you sold your house and joined the military?" Mwu shrugged. "Well, I didn't exactly _sell_ it," he pointed out. "But yeah, that was the last time.."

"If it's okay to ask, what brings you back here?" asked Sam curiously. "You told me you'd never come back.." His old friend smiled. "I brought some people who wanted to see snow..." Turning around a little, he took the hand of someone behind him, drawing them out to the front. This time, Sam was the one to smile. Mwu's companion was a young woman, with thick chestnut hair and dark golden-orange eyes. She was beautiful, and the way his old friend smiled at her...it was obvious Mwu adored her.

"You going to introduce us?" asked Sam, raising an eyebrow. His friend chuckled in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. "Uhh..sorry. This is Murrue, my wife..." The woman smiled gently, and Sam could well understand why his friend had fallen for her. "It's nice to meet you," he said, and she nodded. "Likewise..." Turning around, she opened the rear passenger door of the taxi, laughing softly as a little girl jumped out. Sam blinked. Not only was his old friend married, something he never would have imagined all those years ago, but he had a kid? The girl resembled her mother in looks, with pale skin and long wavy dark hair, but her eyes were the exact same cobalt-blue shade as Mwu's. "Is this where we're staying, Daddy?" she asked cheerfully.

Sam held out the key to his friend. "Everything's ready," he told him. "The beds are made, there's a fire in the grate.." Murrue smiled again. "Thank you.." Unlocking the door, she ushered her little girl inside, then moved to the taxi to lift out a wrapped bundle from the back seat...another child, a toddler.

Once she had gone inside, Sam turned back to his friend. "Okay, buddy, I have questions. How'd you get that scar, and how the _hell_ did you meet someone like her?" Mwu laughed, the merry sound echoing down the quiet street. "The scar I got from a mobile suit accident," he replied, while unloading the bags from the taxi. "And Murrue...I met her by accident too. But it was the best accident I've ever had..."

That night, Mwu and Murrue sat on a small sofa in the house, watching a large fire crackle in the grate. Murrue smiled, curling her legs under her as she sipped from a glass of wine. "It's so quiet here.." she mused softly, resting her head on her husband's shoulder. "Was it like this when you were younger?" Mwu nodded, one hand draped over her shoulders. "Yeah. It's always been quiet here. You like it?" She sipped at her wine again, then set her glass down on the floor beside the sofa. "Yes. Thank you for bringing us here.."

The moment was almost perfect. But then...

"Mommy? Daddy?" A little voice, and a little face peeking around the door. Strawberry-blonde curls and marigold eyes. Amber.

"Hey, sweetie, how come you're awake?" Murrue asked softly. In answer, the toddler wandered into the room and clambered up on the sofa, snuggling up to her mother. "Where are we?" she asked, wide eyes taking in her surroundings. Murrue smiled. "We're where the snow is, honey. See?" Standing up, she carried her daughter to the window, showing her the snow-covered back garden. Amber gazed at the snow for a moment, then smiled. "Snow." she repeated. Her mother giggled, carrying her back to the sofa. "You want to stay here a little while?" she asked, and Amber nodded, cuddling up to her as she sat back down beside Mwu. After a few moments, she rested her head on her mother's shoulder, and was soon asleep, content and happy.

"Think she'll be a snowbird too?" asked Mwu, and Murrue smiled, stroking her little girl's hair. "Maybe.."

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( This waffles a bit, but it's more to set the scene than anything else lol

Please read and review! )


	3. Chapter 3

The park was beautiful. It stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions, the gardens lovingly landscaped and tended to. Trees were grouped together in groves, or stood alone, along with frost-rimmed statues. Murrue stared around herself, marigold eyes wide with awe. "This place is wonderful. But...how come such a small town has such a large park?" Her husband smiled softly, but didn't answer. Instead, he lifted Amber straight off the snow-covered ground and swung her in the air, before placing her on his shoulders. The toddler squealed in delight, kicking her little legs. Murrue shook her head in slight frustration, but let it go, bending down to adjust the brightly-coloured woolly cap Rin was wearing. Her oldest child was beaming, blue eyes wide, cheeks rosy red from the cold. "What kind of games can we play in the snow, Mommy?"

The woman opened her mouth to answer, when suddenly, something whizzed by her left ear, knocking her hat off. Blinking, she looked up, to see Mwu standing there a little way away, an expression of feigned innocence on his scarred face. Amber gave the game away, however, laughing so hard her face turned cherry red. Murrue raised an eyebrow, bending down further to scoop up some snow and pack it into a ball. Beside her, Rin watched with fascination, never having seen a snowball before. Finishing the object, the woman regarded the blonde man for a moment. Mwu simply grinned, tapping his chin as if to say 'Give it your best shot..'. Murrue smiled back, the expression poisonously sweet. _You asked for it, honey.._ Throwing the ball as hard as she could, she watched with dry satisfaction as the cold object hit her husband square on the end of his nose. Rin collapsed with laughter, pointing breathlessly at the outrage on her father's face. In response, Mwu set Amber back down on the ground carefully, then cracked his knuckles.

That was all it took. For the next quarter of an hour or so, the air was thick with thrown snowballs, the missiles sometimes flying true, or in the case of little Amber, rather wide. Seeing the dejection on the tiny girl's face, Mwu knelt down beside her, packing snow and handing it to her. "Okay," he whispered. "If I hold your arm, you throw that at Rin just as hard as you can.." Nodding, Amber screwed up her little face, throwing as her father guided her arm. The snowball flew straight at the older girl's back, and the toddler's face lit up. But...something odd happened.

A split second before the snowy missile would have hit Rin, the girl whirled around and caught it perfectly. She seemed as surprised as everyone else, staring down at the ball in her hands. Amber looked awed. "How you do that, Sis?" Rin shook her head. "I..I don't know. I could just..tell it was coming. Like a tickle in the back of my head.." She made a face. "It felt weird.." Her parents exchanged glances at the child's words. Mwu's thoughts were worried ones. _Has Rin...did she inherit that from me? That ability - that gene?_

Not appearing to be concerned by her odd new ability, the little girl set down the snowball, brushed the snow from her gloves, and took her mother's hand. Forcing a smile onto her face, Murrue turned to Mwu. "Shall we keep going?" The blonde man nodded, again lifting Amber up to sit on his shoulders, and taking his wife's hand. Together, the little family continued their walk.

In the centre of the park, there was a small swing set, along with a roundabout and see-saw. Beside that, there was a small stone building that served as a cafe, where a vendor was selling cups of hot coffee and chocolate. People milled about this meeting place, talking and laughing as they sipped hot drinks, their breath floating out on clouds which mixed with the steam from the beverages. Mwu chuckled, clearly delighted, and ran toward the cafe, Amber still on his shoulders. The little girl giggled, her hat flying off due to the breeze, and Rin picked it up. "Daddy can be so silly sometimes," she said seriously, a grave expression on her five-year-old face. Suppressing a laugh, Murrue nodded. Kneeling down, she swept together a pile of snow, patting it down to create a cylindrical shape. Rin watched her mother, confused. "What's that, Mommy?"

In reply, Murrue rolled more snow into a ball, and placed it on top of the cylinder. "It's a snowman," she answered. "When I was little, I made these in my backyard. I made snowmen of my whole family once.." Searching the ground, she found small stones, and pressed them into the snow to form a face. "There we go. A snowman." Rin beamed, and added the hat her sister had dropped. "Snow Amber!" Murrue giggled, moving to sit down on a bench, while her daughter played in the snow, making more snowmen, and jumping around in the large drifts.

Her attention was drawn to her husband, who was standing near the cafe, their youngest child now held in his arms. The girl was sipping at a cup of something carefully, while her father chatted amiably with the cafe owner and other patrons. Smiling, the young woman tipped her head back to gaze into the dazzling blue sky, kicking at the snow beneath her boots.

"I haven't seen you around here before.." The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, and she turned her head to see an old man sitting on the bench beside her. The man smiled at her surprise, his weather-beaten face creasing into a score of wrinkles. "Sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that...this town is so small, that when someone new turns up, people tend to notice. Especially families." Murrue smiled back, adjusting the red scarf around her neck. "We're only on holiday here - my husband and I wanted to show our children snow. This is his hometown..."

The man nodded. "Snow at Christmastime.." He peered at the crowd of people around the cafe for a moment, then leaned back, smiling. "Your husband - he's the blonde man with the little mite in his arms, right?" Murrue nodded. The man squinted again, then, suddenly, his eyes widened. He glanced at Murrue, then back at the crowd, then shook his head, smile one of faint amazement. "That smile on his face - is that because of you?"

The woman frowned, not understanding. "Because of me?"

"This place," the old man said, gazing into the middle distance, "wasn't always a park. It was a private estate not so long ago. Right where that cafe and children's park are now...was a house, the grandest to be seen for miles around. I used to work there..." Murrue nodded, wondering why it was that this gentleman was telling her all this. _What did he mean...because of me?_

"The owner of this house, the master...he wasn't exactly kind, but he was fair. He treated everyone equally - with disdain. His wife he barely acknowledged, and as for his young son...the poor child may as well have not been there. But he.." The man smiled, the expression tender. "He was such a sweet boy. Kind, friendly...the exact opposite of his father. Perhaps it was due to his utter lack of interest in the master's ambitions that he was treated the way he was...brushed aside. And when the master and his wife died...killed in a fire that destroyed the house and everything in it...perhaps it was fate that the child was the only one to survive. As though he had been given a chance to start again.

But even then, he wasn't happy. He smiled, of course, and laughed with his friends. But those smiles never reached his eyes. And as soon as he came of age, he decided to leave. Even though as the only surviving heir, the estate was his, he didn't want to live here. He gave this place, all the land..to the town. All he said was that he wanted it to be a place where people could smile.."

Murrue listened wide-eyed. The story...sounded familiar. The lonely boy, the sad childhood, the fire..."Mwu..."

The man nodded, looking back at the blonde man, who was now drinking a cup of coffee, Amber playing in the snow around his feet. "I never saw a true smile from him," he said softly. "He was so lonely. But now..he's happy, and I was just wondering..is it because of you?"

The young woman blushed at those words, gazing around her, at Rin and her snow family, at her husband, and at the landscaped gardens. This was the place Mwu had grown up...he had spent his days in these gardens, just as his own children were doing now. "I don't know...if it's because of me.." she replied softly. "Perhaps it's because of all of us, the children as well.."

Later, the little family were walking through the park, Rin and Amber jumping around in the deep snowdrifts, giggling happily, cheeks bright red with cold and exertion. Murrue and Mwu were holding hands, the woman now seeing her beloved's reasons for coming here in a different light. He was looking all around him, blue eyes unfocused and faraway, as though he was seeing into the past.

"Has it changed?" Mwu blinked, looking back at her. "Has what changed?" She smiled, gesturing with the other mittened hand to the frost-covered surroundings. "This garden. Is it the same as it was when you were little?"

The scarred man regarded her for a moment. "You don't mean the park, do you?" He shook his head. "How did you know?"

"A man back near the cafe," she replied. "He said that he worked here before, and he remembered you. Even after all this time.." Mwu sighed, squeezing her hand. "I spent as much time as I could out here in the garden, to avoid my parents. Until I was sent to school, the maids and other servants here were the only friends I had..."

"The man said...that you never smiled properly before, but now you do.." Murrue said softly, cheeks pinking as her gaze was trained on the snowy ground. "He asked..if it was because of me.." In response to that, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers in a gentle kiss.

"It was.."

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( Weirdness, no? Don't ask me where this one came from..

Please read and review anyway, okay? Lol :/ )


	4. Chapter 4

"Mmmmm..." The hand on her forehead was gentle, brushing aside her auburn locks carefully. Opening her eyes, she smiled up at the one beside her. "Hi.." Shifting a little under the thick layers of blankets and comforters, she moved to sit up. The hand on her forehead drifted down over her cheek lovingly, then dropped to take her own hand. She squeezed the hand gently. "Are the girls awake?" Her husband grinned, hopping onto the bed beside her and taking her in his arms. "Awake, eaten breakfast, and outside in the garden." he replied, nuzzling her neck with kisses. "You sure have slept a long time.."

Rubbing an eye, Murrue reached beside her to check the time on the small digital clock that sat on the bedside table. "It's this late?" she murmured. "We were going to go shopping today.." For some reason, her head hurt, and her limbs felt heavy. She wanted to get up, move about, play with the children, but all she could do was lean back against Mwu's warm chest, eyes closed. "Am I sick?" she asked, voice faint, and in response, Mwu kissed the top of her head. "Seems that way," he replied. "But I think it's just a fever..."

The young woman grumbled, gazing out of the window at the brilliant blue sky, the snow on the treetops just visible through the frosted window panes. "I wanted to go out walking, do some Christmas shopping..." Pressing a hand to her forehead, she frowned, as if trying to wish away the fever through sheer force of will. "This is a holiday..why did I have to get sick?" Mwu smiled kindly, hugging her. "It's not your fault. It's just one of those things, that's all. Is there anything special in town that you wanted to get?"

"In the window of one of the stores the other day...I saw a doll's house that Rin would love...I was going to go buy it today while you took the girls back to the park.." She sighed, looking out of the window again. "We only have a few more days here before Christmas, and I wanted to get it before someone else did..." The blonde man considered this problem, then smiled. "No problem. I'd arranged to meet Sam and his wife in the park today anyway. They have a little girl, Grace, about Rin's age. I could leave Rin and Amber with them for a while, and go into town to get the doll's house, bring it back here, then go back to the park. Sound good?"

Murrue smiled, marigold eyes twinkling. "You'd really do that?"

"Sure I would," he replied cheerfully. "Then when your fever goes down, maybe you could join us?"

Later that afternoon, wrapped up warm, Mwu, Rin and Amber left the house, Murrue watching from the upstairs window. As they left, the two little girls looked up, waving mittened hands to their mother, who waved back with a smile. Crossing the floor, she climbed back into bed, tucking herself under the soft blankets. Before he'd left, Mwu had brought her a hot mug of tea, and the books she had packed to bring with her. _"Take it easy, okay? Rest up, and you'll be better soon..."_

And she would. Stretching out, she smiled, enjoying the soft feeling of the sheets and comforters, eyes focused on the wooden-beamed ceiling. Today might be rather nice, after all. Despite her fever, she had time to herself, something that, with two young children, didn't happen very often. So she was determined to make the most of it.

Five minutes later, she was fast asleep.

The day was crisp and sunny, the park busy with people, other families and couples. Rin and Amber ran together, hopping into snowdrifts, throwing snowballs at each other, along with Sam's young daughter Grace. Sam had mentioned that his little girl was rather on the shy side, and had suggested this day out in the hopes that playing with Mwu's own children would bring her out of her shell a little. Mwu himself was walking beside Sam and his wife, chatting about the old days at school, about the trouble they had gotten into, and how much Mwu had changed.

"Is it because you met your wife?" Sam wanted to know. The blonde man chuckled, tipping his head back to get some sunlight to his scarred face. "Yeah," he said simply. "That's exactly why. She taught me what love was." His friend grinned at the honest statement. "You met her in the war?" Mwu nodded. "Like I said, by accident - I ended up on her ship when my own was destroyed. Things progressed from there, although there were some ups and downs, and we got married two years later.." He smiled as a thought occurred to him. "Hey buddy..you mind watching the girls for a little while? Murrue asked me to go pick something up for her.." Sam nodded. "Sure, no problem. I haven't seen Grace this happy in a long time.."

Walking into town, Mwu smiled at the familiarity of it all, the buildings, the roads...Some of the shops he remembered as a child were still there, including the bakery, the scents of the baking bread and pastries filling the still, cold air. Pushing open the door, he browsed the glass shelves for a time, and bought two cinnamon buns topped with sweet icing. _I can share these with Murrue..._

The toy store was quiet, only a few people in looking for last-minute Christmas presents. The doll's house stood in the shop window, the object carefully crafted of wood, and painted in bright colours. He grinned. _She's right. Rin will love this..._

Back at the house, he let himself in, carrying the toy upstairs and setting it down in the main bedroom. Soft breathing caught his attention, and he looked towards the bed. Murrue was there, books laying forgotten on the fluffy comforter...she was sound asleep. Her dark hair was in her face, pale cheeks flushed rose pink in slumber. Mwu chuckled, reaching over to place a gentle hand on her forehead. Her temperature had dropped, and she seemed much more comfortable. After carefully brushing her hair away, and placing a kiss on her cheek, he turned to go and leave her in peace.

Or tried to. "Hmmm? Mwu?"

He turned back to see her stirring, marigold eyes fluttering. Seeing that the person there was exactly who she'd thought it would be, she smiled happily, sitting up a little in bed. The smile was so sunny, he couldn't help returning it, moving to sit down on the bed beside her. "Hiya, sweetheart, you feeling any better?" In response, she snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. "Much," she replied softly. Mwu slipped his arm around her waist to bring her closer, kissing the top of her head, and the two of them sat together for a time - but it couldn't last.

"I have to go back to the girls soon," he murmured, and she nodded, but wouldn't let him go. Instead, she shuffled closer. "Not yet.." she whispered. "Please..stay here a while.." He sighed, running a fingertip down her soft cheek. "Okay. But let me go call Sam so he doesn't wonder where I've got to..." Letting her go, he made his way downstairs to the phone, but before he could pick it up, it rang loudly. "Hello?"

_"Hey buddy, it's me. Grace wanted to know if Rin and Amber could come over to our place to play for a while. Would that be okay with you and Murrue?"_

Mwu had to smile at that. _Did he and Murrue plan this or something? _"Sure, that's fine. It'll give us time to wrap up their presents.."

_"Okay, I'll bring them home about six.."_

After the call, he set the phone down, shaking his head with a grin. _Guess I'll make coffee then..._

Bringing the hot, steaming drinks upstairs to the bedroom, he handed a cup to his wife, as well as one of the sweet pastries he had bought earlier. Murrue smiled, moving a little in the bed so he could join her. "Who called?"

"Sam," he replied, wrapping his arms around her again. "He asked if it was okay if the girls could go over to his place to play with Grace. He's bringing them back around six.." Murrue craned her neck to glance at the clock, and her face lit up. "It's only 3PM.." she said softly. "What do you want to do?" Catching the hidden meaning in her words, Mwu set down his coffee cup, and turned to her, one eyebrow raised. "The way you asked makes me think that you already have something in mind. Am I right?" Gently, he moved a hand to trail a fingertip across her cheek again, the simple touch making her flush pink. Rather shyly, she smiled, reaching up to take his hand and press it to her face, nuzzling little kisses onto the skin. Mwu chuckled, curling his other arm around her waist to bring her close, the heat from his breath making her shiver. "Was this what you had in mind?" he murmured, and she simply nodded, winding her own arms around his neck to bring him down for a kiss.

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( Fluff. :sighs: Again, the fluff. But...lol.

Please read and review! )


	5. Chapter 5

Everything was ready. It was late afternoon on Christmas Eve, the sun a molten orange orb just beginning to set on the horizon. In the kitchen of the tiny house, she sat at the table, a steaming mug of coffee before her. Everything was ready..the gifts were wrapped, the dinner for tomorrow prepared, all that was left to do was to hide the gift she had carefully chosen for her husband. Picking up her coffee mug, thin fingers wrapped around the warm ceramic, Murrue wandered over to the window, wiping away the steam that had gathered on the glass. Outside, in the thick snow that had piled up in the garden, her husband and children were building a snowman. A wool cap was pulled low over Mwu's blonde hair, and the tip of his scarred nose had turned cherry red from the cold. Her daughters were in a similar state, smiles on both little faces as they helped their father pat the snow onto the rapidly forming snowman. Amber was far too engrossed in what she was doing to notice her mother watching, but Rin glanced at the window suddenly, as if sensing the familiar gaze upon her, and smiled again, brushing a lock of long wavy dark hair behind her ear before returning her attention to the snowman.

Murrue sipped at her coffee, wondering just what kind of ability it was that the little girl had inherited from her father. _Mwu's never really mentioned what it is he's able to do. He told me about being able to sense Klueze - I guess that must be because they were related in a way. And he has very quick reflexes...that's how he was able to be such a good pilot. I've seen traces of that in Rin, since that day she caught the snowball in the park. If she drops something, she's able to catch it before it hits the floor. And neither I nor Mwu are able to sneak up on her anymore - she can always tell we're there._

That thought made her smile, remembering the look of surprise on Mwu's face when he had discovered Rin was able to sense her mother's presence. _He was only ever able to sense the ones who shared that gene. Klueze, that boy who was on _Minerva_...I forget his name, and Rin. I don't know if Amber has it, she's never shown any sign, and Mwu's been able to sense Rin ever since she was a baby. But Rin herself, she can sense me, and I don't know why. She's always been closer to Mwu than to me, after all. They've always had some kind of special connection ever since she was born. I knew, as soon as he held her in his arms, and she looked right at him...it makes me jealous sometimes, to know that I'll never be as close to my little girl as her daddy is..._

_But then again, Mwu always tells me that I'm the most important person in the world to him - that without me, he'd be nothing. It isn't true, of course, but still..._ A small, impish smile curved her lips. _It's nice to know...that he cares for me that much..._

As if he knew she was thinking about him, Mwu looked up from where he was rolling a large ball for the snowman's head, and saw her watching. His handsome face lit up into a smile, the expression so gentle and loving that it made Murrue's chest feel warm, as if her heart were melting. She looked away, down into the swirling surface of her coffee, cheeks pinking. Mwu chuckled, making his way back towards the small house, wading through the thick snowdrifts. But halfway there, his foot caught against the raised edge of the path, and he tripped, falling flat on his face. Rin and Amber collapsed in fits of giggles, and despite her own best attempts, Murrue herself couldn't help laughing, opening the door. The light from the kitchen spilled across the snow, and lit on the fallen man, who had managed to sit up, face covered in snow. The young woman bent down and offered him a hand. "Come on, idiot, let's get you dried off.."

After he and the children had changed into warm, dry clothes, the little family sat curled up together on the sofa before the fire. Having spent most of her day outside, the three-year-old Amber was quick to fall asleep, nestled in her mother's arms, marigold eyes tightly closed. Mwu grinned, reaching to ruffle his youngest child's hair affectionately. "She's been on the go all day.." Murrue nodded, smiling, and kissed the top of the little girl's head. Afterwards, she glanced down at Mwu's knee, which was swollen and slightly bruised due to it's contact with the concrete path beneath the snow. "Is that feeling any better?"

"A bit," he replied, flexing the sore joint carefully. "It was kinda dumb of me to trip like that, huh?" His wife giggled, squeezing his hand. "Yep. But then again, our life together has been filled with accidents so far...what's one more?"

Rin, who had been dozing with her head on her father's shoulder, peeked up at that. "What kind of accidents, Mommy?" she asked sleepily. "Does Daddy fall over a lot?" Murrue smiled. "Well, he does, but there are other accidents too. Like things you don't expect.." The little girl didn't really understand, but nodded anyway, nuzzling back close to Mwu and closing her eyes. The blonde man smiled gently as Rin's tiny fingers closed around his t-shirt, then reached out to pull his wife closer so her head rested on his other shoulder. "We do have a lot of accidents, don't we?" he murmured, gazing into the crackling fire. "We met by accident, you found me again by accident - well, the kid did - Rin was definitely an accident..." His voice trailed off as he looked down at the little girl in his arms. _At first...when I first found out about her..I didn't want her. I didn't want a kid - all I wanted was Murrue. But for an accident...she was one of the best I've ever had. The best, like I told Sam, was meeting her mother..._"Even Amber was a mistake, really. Wasn't it your birthday?"

Murrue flushed poppy red, clearly remembering that day. Mwu chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head. "You remember that, huh? Your thirty-first birthday?" She nodded, still blushing. "You got me drunk," she accused. He shook his head. "Nope. You got _yourself_ drunk."

"You seduced me!" she protested, and Mwu grinned. "Yep. But it sure was fun..."

He remembered all too well that night. Murrue had been out drinking with her friends for her birthday, after dropping the then fifteen-month-old Rin off with Lacus for the night. When she had finally got home, she had been more than a little tipsy, but far from blind drunk. _I never met anyone else, male or female, who can hold their liquor better than Murrue can..._ Mwu had bought her a silk nightdress for her birthday, and when she had tried it on, her curvy figure showing through the thin fabric, plus the pink flush to her cheeks and the shine in her eyes from the alcohol...he hadn't been able to resist her, lifting the surprised woman straight off her feet and carrying her to their room.

_And nine months later, to the day, almost...Amber showed up..._

"Next time...we'll plan it.." she muttered, her face still reddened. He raised an eyebrow at that. "'Next time'? You want another, huh?" Murrue smiled at that, nestling closer. "Just one more," she replied. "I want to try...for a little boy..." Mwu looked away at those words. _I was hoping..that she wouldn't. _The young woman noticed his expression, and frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"I don't...I mean, I'm not sure...if I want a son..." he said softly. Murrue's face fell, and he sighed, squeezing her hand. "It's nothing you've done, sweetheart," he told her, stroking her hair. "It's just that...if we had a son, he'd inherit my name, and I..."

"Not _your_ name," she reminded him, holding up her left hand. The engagement and wedding rings on the third finger gleamed in the firelight. "_Our_ name. Your father, and the problems he caused aren't around anymore. There's just you, and me, and the girls. Nothing to be ashamed of anymore.." Smiling, she kissed his cheek lovingly. Mwu smiled, and nodded. "I guess you're right.."

The two of them sat there for a time, talking quietly, happy in each other's company, while their two young daughters slept in their arms. Finally, Mwu sat up, lifting the sleeping Rin in his arms. "Think we should get these to bed?" Murrue nodded, Amber held in her own arms. Gazing at her slumbering children, she smiled a little. "Do you think they'd like a baby brother?"

"I'm sure they would," he replied as they carried the two girls upstairs, and settled them in the large canopy bed in the room across the hall from their own. Amber never stirred, but as her mother pulled the thick comforters and blankets over Rin, the little girl woke up, blue eyes suddenly worried.

"Mommy?" she asked drowsily, fighting sleep. "It's Christmas tomorrow...but we're not at home. Will...will Santa know where to find us?" Murrue smiled, leaning down to kiss her daughter on the cheek. "Sure he does. Santa can find anyone. Don't you worry." Rin nodded, and closed her eyes, falling back asleep almost instantly.

Crossing the hall into the other room, the dark-haired woman climbed into bed beside her husband, snuggling up to him under the comforter, it's own warmth and his own banishing the cold of the room. "Rin was scared that Santa wouldn't be able to find us," she told him, giggling a little. Closing her eyes, she cuddled further into his arms. "Do you think he'll be able to?"

Mwu nodded with a chuckle, leaning down to plant nuzzling kisses to her neck and shoulder. "You want to stay awake and find out?"

Murrue smiled at the touch of his lips, turning so she was looking up at him. "I was never able to stay up long enough when I was little," she told him. "You think you can keep me awake?"

He replied with a kiss.

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( Why do I always end up with smut when I wing it?

:sighs: Oh well. Please read and review! )


	6. Chapter 6

It was Christmas morning, and the light gleaming through the thin curtains was bright. It shone on to the face of the woman curled up in the large bed, and she frowned in her sleep, attempting to bury her head underneath the thick comforters to block out the light. But to no avail. Blinking, she pried open her eyes, wincing at the white light from outside. _What time is it? How long have I been asleep?_ Reaching out from the bed, she groped for the tiny travel clock on the side table. 9:10AM. Sighing, Murrue turned to face the one who slept beside her, a small smile curving her lips. Her husband was sleeping peacefully, scarred face wearing a smile of it's own.

_That's right, we did get to sleep rather late last night, didn't we? Or, more accurately, this morning..._The young woman stretched out in the soft bed, closing her eyes. Boy, was she ever tired. But...satisfied. Reaching to the side of the bed, she felt for the nightdress that had been so casually discarded the night before. After all, it wouldn't do for her children to see her like this... As she donned the garment, she heard a soft giggle from the doorway. Two pairs of eyes were focused on her, one blue, one marigold. "Hello there," she whispered. "Merry Christmas.." Sitting up a little, she beckoned to her daughters. Their little faces lit up, and both girls ran towards her, jumping up on the bed and wriggling under the covers. "Merry Christmas, Mommy!" Rin chirped, nuzzling close. Murrue smiled, kissing the little girl lovingly. Beside her, there was an annoyed grumble from a lump under the bedcovers. "What time is it?"

Amber giggled, moving across and snuggling close to her father. "It's Christmas, Daddy! Time to wake up!"

Mwu grumbled again, but stuck his head out from under the comforters, blonde hair in disarray. "It might be, but I bet it's still too early.." But he smiled anyway, ruffling his youngest daughter's curly hair. "Merry Christmas, sweetie." Over Amber's head, he grinned at his wife, who smiled back, cheeks pinking. He had already wished _her_ Christmas greetings...rather early that morning, when they had been laying together in each other's arms. She had giggled softly when he had told her, turning to nuzzle kisses to his neck. _"Merry Christmas to you too..."_ she had whispered, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. _"I love you.." _Mwu's hand had found her hair, stroking it gently as she fell asleep. _"I love you too..."_

Rin's little voice brought the two of them back to the present. "Mommy, Daddy? Did...did Santa find us? He...didn't get lost, did he?" Murrue smiled, pushing back the covers and pointing to the corner of the room. Sitting against the blue-painted wall were carefully wrapped gifts, spilt into two piles. The two little girls' faces lit up in sheer delight, and they scrambled from the bed, dashing over to where the presents waited. Their parents sat up a little in bed, she leaning against his chest, to watch the children's happiness.

"Do you remember our first Christmas together?" Murrue murmured quietly, closing her eyes. Mwu chuckled. "Sure do. We were still on _Archangel_, weren't we? Up at Copernicus. I think Rin was only a few weeks old..." His wife nodded, remembering the day. Everyone had been given the day off shift, and more than a few crewmembers had gone out into the city to enjoy the festive spirit. Among those were the ship's captain and second-in-command, along with their three-week-old daughter. The two of them had wandered the beautiful city, baby Rin held in her mother's arms. The little girl's blue eyes had been wide, staring around herself at the city she had been born in. Her parents had shown her the large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the central plaza, and Rin had gurgled softly, as if she had known exactly what it was. Mwu and Murrue had sat down on a bench together, watching the multi-coloured lights twinkle in the huge tree. Neither of the two had bought each other gifts, deciding that each other was all they needed. Each other, and their daughter. And it was the same this year.

"Merry Christmas.." Murrue said softly, kissing her husband. He smiled, resting his head on hers. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart.."

Later that day, when the two little girls were playing with their presents, Rin besotted with her new doll's house, Mwu got up from the sofa, and slipped on his jacket. Murrue frowned, confused, and made as if to join him, but he shook his head, reaching for her hand and squeezing gently. "It's okay. There's just something I need to do. I'll be back soon..." Kissing her lightly, he left the house, his wife watching after him.

He drove for at least half-an-hour, having rented a car for this purpose the previous day. He drove until he left the small town behind, the car making it's way up into the hills. There was somewhere special he needed to be - somewhere he hadn't been since he had been ten years old. Up ahead, he could see it, the enclosed garden stretching out over several acres, and his heart clenched. _I promised myself...I'd never come back here, but look at me. I guess that being here, with the family I have now, made me remember the family I used to have..._

Parking the car outside, the blonde man made his way into the quiet, still garden. Although it had been twenty years since he had been here last, his feet knew exactly which route to take, as though it had been only yesterday. Walking down the paths, passing many memorials covered with flowers and mementoes, he continued until he found what he was looking for. It was large and elaborate, covered with moss and other lichens. The inscription was faded, almost illegible, but he could still read the name.Al Da Fllaga. Smiling ruefully, shaking his head, Mwu gazed at the monument for a moment.

"Hey, Dad," he said softly. "Bet you didn't think you'd see me here again. Been a long time, huh?" Reaching out, he brushed away some of the moss. "And to be honest, part of me wonders why I did come back. But I guess...that having my own family made me realise. That however bad a father you were, you were still my father. I suppose...it took becoming a dad myself to understand that. My wife...if she knew I'd been coming here, she'd have wanted to come with me. Since you're her father-in-law. I wonder if you or Mom would have liked her? She's a wonderful person, and I have her to thank for finally being able to understand what love was, since neither you nor Mom ever showed me. But then again...did either of you understand love either?"

Sighing, he shrugged. "I guess I'll never know, huh? But I have her, and I have two children of my own, and that's all I'll ever need." He took a deep breath. "I...this is...I wanted to say...that I forgive you. I still don't know why you did the things you did, but you must have had your reasons, right? It's just a pity you had your priorities mixed up" Reaching into the pocket of his coat, he pulled out a small candle and lit it, placing it on the memorial, then got to his feet. "Merry Christmas, Dad.."

Turning, he walked away, away from his past, and back to where his present and future were waiting for him.

When he got back to the house, Murrue was in the kitchen, making snacks for the girls. He could hear their happy chattering and laughter from the other room, and smiled. Murrue noticed him come in, and moved to help him take off his jacket, kissing his cold cheek. "Were you able to finish what you wanted to do?" Nodding, he wrapped her up in his arms, bringing her close. She squeaked in surprise, the sound coming out muffled, but relaxed into the embrace, winding her own arms around him.

"I love you.." he murmured into her hair, breathing in the scent of roses. Murrue smiled, closing her eyes and tightening her embrace. "I love you too.."

The two stood there in each other's arms for what felt like forever, he needing the comfort, and she knowing, in some way, what it was he wanted. Then, breaking free a little, she took his hand, pulling him towards the other room, and the love of his family.

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( Hmmm...That didn't turn out like I thought it would...I hope it's okay..

Please read and review! )


	7. Chapter 7

"No, Daddy...I dont want to go home!" The little girl looked up at her father, tears filling her blue eyes. Rubbing at her face with a tiny hand, she sniffed once, lower lip trembling. Her father sighed, running a hand through blonde hair. He'd known..that mentioning the fact that they had to go home soon wouldn't be recieved well by his young daughters. They loved it here, loved the snow...but this couldn't last forever. Kneeling down, Mwu placed a hand on his little girl's head. "We can't stay here forever, sweetie. You know that. You have school, and your mommy and I have work to go back to. Plus, wouldn't you miss your friends back home?" Rin nodded, but the tears spilled over to trickle down her cheeks. Mwu closed his eyes, then leaned forward to enfold the five-year-old in a hug. On the sofa, his wife sat watching, their youngest child sitting on her lap. Her expression was one of sadness and sympathy, knowing how much her husband loved their daughters, and how he hated to refuse them anything. Even the youngest girl looked upset, marigold eyes downcast and sparkling with tears._ We could. We could stay here for a little while longer..._

"Mwu...we don't have to be back at work...and Rin doesn't have to be back at school, until next week, after the new year. We could stay here a little while longer.." Her gaze flicked to her oldest daughter. "Are you sure you want to stay here longer?"

Rin's little face lit up in delight, and she looked to her father, who was smiling. "We can? Really?" He chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, if you like.." The little girl ran forward and hugged her father tightly, then broke away and jumped onto the sofa, snuggling up to her mother. "Thank you, Mommy!" Murrue giggled, slipping her other arm around the child. "You're welcome," she replied gently. Secretly though, she hadn't really wanted to leave here either. The small town was quiet and peaceful, a nice change from the hectic life back home in Orb. Plus...it was where her husband had grown up. Knowing that, seeing all the places he remembered..it made her feel closer to him, helped her understand him a little better. _That's something...I always wanted. Sometimes I wonder how much he still keeps hidden, even from me..._

That night, she lay in his arms, snuggled under the thick blankets and comforters. The curtains were still open, and the night sky outside was overcast. "Think it'll snow?" she murmured sleepily, and she felt him nod, his arms tightening around her waist. "Looks that way. In fact, I think it's already started..." Outside, the snow had started to fall thickly, being blown by increasingly strong winds. A snowstorm. Murrue sighed, nuzzling close to Mwu's warmth. She hated storms of any kind, whether they were thunder, wind, or snow. And it was _cold_. Very cold. Mwu laughed softly, the deep chuckles sounding deep within his chest. "You're still not used to all this, are you? The weather, I mean? Being in Orb so long's thinned your blood.." The young woman huffed. "It has not..."

The snowstorm outside worsened, the flurries of whiteness being blown this way and that. And all of a sudden, the few lights that were still on in the house flickered, then went out, including the nightlight in the room where the girls were sleeping. The sudden change in the light and temperature woke up little Amber, who whimpered slightly, Climbing out of the bed she shared with her sister, the toddler padded across the carpeted floor, and pushed open the door to the other room, toddling across to climb into her parents' bed. Murrue smiled gently, reaching to pull the little girl into a warm hug. "You scared, sweetie?"

Amber didn't say anything, just nodded mutely, nuzzling as close to her mother as she could get. She had been afraid of the dark ever since she was a baby, but if someone was there with her, she felt safe. Curling up in the bed, she laid her head on her mother's shoulders. "Mommy.." she whispered, before falling asleep.

"You think Rin's okay?" asked the woman quietly, and Mwu smiled, stroking her hair. "Okay? She'll be fine. She's just like you..it'll take more than a snowstorm to frighten her.." Murrue giggled at that. _But of all the things that frighten me...storms frighten me the most..._

"Mommy? Daddy?" The little voice was high and scared, and little feet padded across the wooden floor. "I woke up, and I couldn't find Amber..and there are monsters outside, and..." One tiny hand closed on the bedcovers, and a sob came out of the darkness. Shaking his head, Mwu moved to the side to make room for Rin, and the girl climbed in beside him, cuddling up to him. She was shaking a little, only calming down when she felt her father's warmth, and heard his heartbeat. "Why is outside so scary tonight?" she asked softly, but she smiled a little when she heard her mother's gentle laughter. "Weather can be scary sometimes," admitted Murrue. "But that's all it is. Weather. Not monsters." Rin nodded, closing her eyes. She sighed, the sound a small and drowsy one, and Mwu chuckled, letting the little girl rest her head on his shoulder. Like her sister, Rin was quick to fall asleep, and her parents exchanged rueful smiles. "She's more like me than I thought," murmured Murrue, snuggling close to him. Her marigold eyes lit on the swirling snowfall outside. "I've been scared of storms since I was very small..." Mwu grinned, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything..."

"Of course I am," she replied. "Everyone's afraid of something, right? What about you? What are _you_ afraid of?"

The scarred man gazed down at his wife. Her eyes were focused on him, an odd light in them. "That's not all you want to know though, is it? I promise you, there's nothing I've kept hidden from you. If anyone in the world deserved to know the truth, deserved to know everything I am and what I've done, it'd be you.." He moved to kiss her gently, and she nodded, relaxing into his embrace. When they broke for air, she nestled her head on his shoulder. "So what _are_ you afraid of?" Mwu smiled, looking at his family grouped all around him. "Tonight, nothing. But if there's one thing I'm scared of...it's being alone. Like I was when I was younger, and in those last two years. The only time, until I came back, that I can remember being truly happy...was when I was with you. Those few months we spent together in the first war. I remember thinking..that I never wanted to give that feeling up..." Murrue beamed, moving up to kiss his cheek. "It's all right. You won't ever be alone again, okay?" He nodded, inclining his head so it was resting on hers, and the two of them fell asleep, their children in their arms.

The next morning, Mwu was the first to wake up. At first, he was confused as to why he could hardly move, but once he was able to look around himself, he had to suppress a laugh. Rin was curled up in the crook of his right arm, Murrue in the crook of his left. In turn, Amber was nestled close to her mother's left side, and all three of them were fast asleep. His family...the three people in the world who meant the most to him, all here. Smiling happily, he closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Daddy?" Cracking open one blue eye, the man looked to his right, to see a pair of equally blue eyes gazing back at him. "Hey there, sweetie," he whispered. "Ssssh, okay? Let Mommy and Amber sleep.." Rin nodded, and slipped out of the bed, walking over to the window. Her eyes widened in amazement. "Wow.." she breathed. Curious, her father carefully wriggled free of his wife's grasp, and out of bed, wincing as the cold air hit his bare arms and legs. Making his way over to his daughter's side, he raised an eyebrow. The storm last night had laid down several feet of snow, which had drifted against buildings and over roads, making the world seem as though it was coated in a layer of meringue. _Damn...it's worse than I expected it to be.._

"Is all that _snow_, Daddy?" asked Rin, little hands pressed to the cold glass. Mwu nodded. "It sure is," he replied, lifting up the girl in his arms. "And with how cold it is, the snow's probably frozen too. C'mon, let's go back where it's warm." He carried Rin back across and settled back in the bed, the child on his lap.

"Did it ever snow like this when you lived here before?" she asked, and he nodded. "Oh yeah, lots of times. Once it piled as high as my bedroom window.." The little girl seemed suitably impressed, and cuddled into the covers. "I wish it could snow back home.."

Eventually, her attention focused on her mother and little sister, who were both still sound asleep. "Look, Daddy, Mommy's smiling.." Sure enough, a small smile graced Murrue's lips, the expression only growing when Mwu reached out and trailed a finger down one soft cheek. Rin giggled. "Does Mommy know that was you?" He nodded. "I'm sure she does. It's the same if she does that to me when I'm sleeping. I always know it's her..." _I wonder what she's dreaming about?_

Later that day, he found his wife staring out of the window in their room, that same smile on her face. He had to grin as he watched her. Murrue was wearing an old pair of jeans, as well as one of his own shirts. Her hair was in pigtails, and she wore no make-up, but even then, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. "What are you thinking about?" he asked softly, walking up to embrace her from behind. "Nothing much," she replied, leaning back against him. Her arms reached up to cover his, snuggling her further into the warmth of the wool sweater he wore. "But then again, it might be important," she continued, almost speaking to herself. "It's just..that night we had, on Christmas Eve.."

Mwu nodded, smiling. He remembered very well. The two of them hadn't got to sleep until the early hours of Christmas morning, both completely exhausted. They didn't get much chance to be together like that these days, with Rin and Amber being so young, so they took whatever opportunity they could get. But that had been a few days ago now... "What about it?"

Murrue smiled, closing her eyes. "I'm late.."

For a moment, he didn't get it, blinking stupidly. Then it hit him. Eyes widening, he checked to make sure the children were nowhere around, and leaned in close to whisper. "Are you sure?" She nodded, and he sighed, shaking his head. "What was all that you were saying about planning?"

She shrugged. "You can't plan for everything," she replied softly. "And besides, I don't know for certain whether it is what we think it is. There could be another explanation..I could have got my dates mixed up.." Mwu nodded, but didn't look convinced. "Then again, you might not have.." Letting out a deep breath, he leaned against her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "If this is..what we think it is...then you'd be happy, wouldn't you?" Murrue smiled. "Very happy. Why, wouldn't you?" She tilted her head to look right at him, her gaze managing to be both amused and accusing at the same time. "The way you are with the girls, do _not_ try and tell me you wouldn't be happy about having another..."

He grinned, planting a loving kiss on her cheek. "Of course I'd be happy. We could have a dozen kids, and I'd still be happy, as long as you were.." She laughed softly, reaching behind her to tangle her fingers in his hair. "A dozen, huh? Well, that might be tough to manage. We'd never fit them all in our house. But a big family _would_ be nice.." She patted her stomach. "When the snow's cleared away a bit, I'll go down to the chemist..and find out for sure.."

Mwu nodded, closing his eyes. _I hope it really is..what we think it is.._

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( Lmao. The last bit was for Sky, as she was very insistent that Mwu and Murrue-san have another baby, and that it should be a boy this time. I didn't dare refuse :laughs: she can be scary.

And about her 'casual' look...with the pigtails and all - in this story, she's a 35-year-old married mother of two young kids. And she's on holiday. Would _you_ get glammed up?

Hope you like! Please read and review! )


	8. Chapter 8

The weather was warm, far different to what they had been used to for the last two weeks. The heated air swirled around and through the open windows of the small red car, a big change from the cold, biting wind of their holiday destination. The two little girls sat in the back of the vehicle, chattering excitedly and pointing out various familiar landmarks as they neared the neighbourhood where they lived, and the tiny house near the sea that was home for them. Their mother sat in the front of the car, not saying much, just listening to the chatting and laughter of her daughters, her mind focused on the news she had learned before leaving Quebec. Without realising, one hand moved to rest on her stomach, a smile curving her lips. For the last couple of days, she had had a niggling feeling that something was different, and after a trip to the small town's chemist, she had found out that she was right.

_Mwu and I...we're going to be parents again. The test was positive, just as I knew it would be..._

A warmth in her hand caused Murrue to open her eyes and glance to the right. Mwu's attention was focused on the road ahead, but he had reached out to gently squeeze her hand. He was smiling, the expression growing when she squeezed back. He was happy, in a way she'd never seen in him before. Like some unseen weight had been lifted from his shoulders. _Going back there, to your hometown...was the right decision, wasn't it? You were able to meet old friends, visit the place you grew up...and wherever it was you went on Christmas afternoon. I have a pretty good idea where you went, but if you want to keep it private...then that's okay.._

Going back there, he had laid his ghosts to rest, made peace with his past...and it had been fun. The two of them had been able to show their children snow, let them breathe fresher air than they had been used to, growing up in the smog of the city. Even though they had sea air, Murrue had still worried that Rin and Amber would become unhealthy. But back there, in the snow, there had been no danger of that. _I wish we could have stayed there longer..._

When they reached home, the tiny white-painted wooden house set back from the beach, everything was in order. A neighbour had been over every day while the family had been away, to water the flowers in the little garden, and feed the fish in the pond. Unlocking the door, Murrue stood back to let her two little girls charge in, and sat down on the doorstep, pale face turned up to the sun. Despite her love for the place where her husband had grown up, she relished the feeling of the warmth coursing through her.

"Happy to be home?" She smiled at the voice, and rested her head on Mwu's shoulder as he sat down beside her. "Yes," she replied softly, reaching out to run a finger across one of the plants in her garden. "But I loved it there..." Mwu chuckled at that, moving a hand up to tangle in her dark hair. "I'm glad about that," he murmured. "Would you like to go back there next year? To spend Christmas there again?" Murrue's face lit up, and she moved to hug him tightly. "Thank you.."

"All five of us.." he continued, reaching to rub her hand across her stomach, and kiss her cheek. He had seen the way his wife had smiled when her belief had been confirmed - when she had found out they were going to have another baby. She loved being a mother, and Mwu had quite clearly been able to see the wistfulness in her eyes when she had been able to hold Lacus and Kira's baby...he'd known then, hadn't he? That Murrue wanted another child? _And I...wanted one just as much. I want a big family, to be surrounded by love and comfort...Heh, I guess I never stopped being that lonely kid inside, did I?_

Later that afternoon, the little family went for a walk on the beach. Rin and Amber ran ahead, giggling, looking for seashells and interesting pebbles. Their parents strolled together, bare feet sinking into the sand, hands entwined. Seagulls cried overhead, and the gentle sound of the waves upon the shore was soothing, familiar. Mwu smiled gently, the light breeze ruffling his hair. However nice his old hometown in Quebec was, here...here was his real home. With Murrue and his daughters...and the child on it's way. Beside him, his wife sighed happily, stretching out her other arm and tipping her head back to enjoy the sun. She tilted her head to look at him, amber eyes catching the light sparkling off the ocean. "That trip...it was as much for you as if was for me and the girls, wasn't it? You needed to go back there...to make peace with your past, didn't you?"

Mwu nodded simply, wrapping an arm around her waist and bringing her close. "I was able to understand a little..after having my own family. My dad - maybe he was someone who just wasn't _meant_ to be a dad. And it made me realise that perhaps..my childhood wasn't as bad as I'd remembered it being. I had friends, I just never really appreciated them when I was a kid." Murrue smiled gently, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I'm sure you did. And your father may not have been meant to be a dad, but _you_ sure were.."

He hugged her at that, nuzzling his scarred face into her hair, breathing in the scent of roses. "I wish I'd had a friend like you when I was growing up.." He could picture it, actually, _had_ pictured it once or twice. She was his best friend as well as his wife, and his only regret was that he hadn't met her earlier. It had taken him almost all his life to get to this point, and he'd often wondered...if he'd known how things were going to turn out,...would they have happened differently?

_What if we'd grown up together? What would our lives have been like? Would we be..the same way we are now? Or..did it take the war to bring us together?_

But as the two of them walked hand-in-hand across the seashore, he realised that..it really didn't matter. However he and Murrue had gotten together, and however late, they were here right now, and they were happy. They had spent five Christmases together, and would be together for many more..

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( Ze ending is a wee bit lame, I know. But...lol. I hope it's okay.

Please read and review! )


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